Place: Reviews & Ratings

This is a dive bar with good beer. It was very dark and there was a Dodger game playing on both of the TV monitors. The venue was not advertised as a sports bar, so I was disappointed that my conversation with my company was repeatedly interrupted with cheering and game-related shouting. The picture on their website lead me to believe there would be nice lighting, but it was just dark and grungy.

Everyone at my table was dissapointed in their food, which tended to be overly salty. The onion rings were gross. No one finished their plate or asked for a doggy bag. Sure it was cheap, but

There were maybe two dozen beers on tap. I had only heard of a half dozen of the beers on the menu, which was awesome. Considering that everyone drives in LA (including me), I was surprised that there was not a single session beer (below 5% abv.) on the menu (hence the 4 and not 5 star rating on selection). (902 characters)

Take this for what it is worth...may be worth something to you, might not be. If I was just reviewing this place based off of the beer selection (decent, but not OMG wow), the atmosphere (we went during an Ohio State game, so the place was pretty lively) and the overall vibe, this place would have scored better. But they forgot about the service.

Ill explain briefly.

Went during Ohio State football game. Im not a fan, but im also not against the team in any way. Wife ordered cask beer (special $3 during Ohio games, as posted on the screen above the bar and above the entrance). I ordered some IPA (price, $3 during the game). When we got the bill, it was double what we were expecting. Noticing this error, I brought it to the attention of the bartender and the waitress. Waitress tells me "oh, sorry, that price is just for Ohio State fans. Are you a fan?" I did not lie, so I said I was not. She said she was sorry so I would pay the full price. After brief conversation, she honored the price on the board. I just don't understand why it was even necessary for me to put the burden on them. It should not happen, and hope they get somebody in there with a brain to make a better decision the first time, next time. That being said, I will go again if I am ever in the area for the beer, but not because I like the service. (1,335 characters)

"I have been to this place three times in the past week, and must say, the beer selection is one of the best in the city. They have some amazing craft brews on tap, including a rotating cask, which I personally love! The beers are not to pricey, either.

I only got a chance to eat there once (more on this below). I had a very special prime rib soaked in Firestone 11/12. It was amazing. The au jus tasted like beer. Man it was good.

Service here sucks. Well, I shouldn't say that. The bartender made tons of effort despite the bar being packed, and I think the manager was even out delivering food and taking drink orders. I'm not sure if they are just understaffed or what, but service was very slow all three times I was there. They even forgot to put in a order of food for me on my last visit, so I waited an hour and a half, had two beers, and left. I was a little pissed.

Parking sucks too. Good luck. Its like a block from the Pantages theatre and theres also another small venue in the same building as Blue Palms. Parking is like $8 during the week, $10 on weekends. Meters are 1 or 2 hour limit, $2/hour, and few and far between.

They have a band on the weekends. Its nice hearing some local bands, but the place is so small, you might wish you had ear plugs. We went there hoping to enjoy some company of our friends, and had to leave because we couldn't hear each other from across the table. I guess we just weren't into the music.

I will be back for some good brews, but don't think I'll be ordering food there or going when there's a band playing." (1,569 characters)

I stopped into the Blue Palms based on the BA listing while in LA on business. It's not much to look at from the outside and the interior isn't a lot better but it is effective. It's got typical bar feel with low light and dark woods. I think the best feature is a great shuffleboard table by the front window. I didn't get to use it but I would have liked to.

The beer selection includes about 24 on tap with many from CA as well as some other US and European beers. They also have one cask which held a Stone PA with Coriander. I'm not big on spiced beer but since it was the cask selection, I went with it. I enjoyed it (although it didn't need the spice). The server we had was outgoing and seemed genuinely into craft beer.

For me, the Blue Palms depends heavily on the tap list. If it's consistent, it's worth a visit. But if it falls off, the atmosphere just isn't enough of a draw. (891 characters)

After reading about this place for so long, I finally made it there the other night before I caught a show at the Roxy. It was a bit smaller than I imagined, but inviting nonetheless. It was a Saturday evening and considering, fairly empty. We went as a group of 5 and all tried something different. I ended up getting a velvet murkin and a fogcutter - both of which I had never tried before. The service was great, staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They had a great line up of micros from all over. I didn't order any food, but I tried a little of everything my friends ordered and was pleased. All in all a great spot my only complaint is that I didn't stay there for longer. A must if you find yourself in the area. (722 characters)

If you can't see their projector with the beers on tap, they tell you to look it up on their website. I prefer my beer bars to be a bit more friendly than this spot. However, the beer selection was superb. (207 characters)

Have frequented Blue Palms numerous times now to finally write a review. First off, boo cause they're Ohio State fans. LOL. Anyways on to the review. I love coming here on Thursdays for the $0.50 cent wing special. There are multiple selections on the menu from BBQ to sandwiches. There will be something for everyone to eat. They have a decent selection of beers which are bottled as well as on tap. Overall a nice place to stop by and have a beer, especially if you're in the Hollywood area. Parking is a bitch. If you want immediate access you'll have to drop $10-$20 in one of the lots if going after 6 -7pm. (612 characters)

A-Simple and unrefined. Reminded me of one of those downton Chicago neighborhood bars with the high cielings, only without the storied history. Give it time.

Q-Good beer selection. A variety of styles were well represented and well poured.

S-Service was a little off, but it was a Sunday and the bartender seemed to be a Jets fan, I'm not sure.

S-Great representation of diverse styles.

F-I didn't try the food, but likely will next time I return.

V-As of 11/23/08 anything over 5.50 for a beer is pricey unless the beer traveled hundreds if not thousands of miles to get into my glass. That said, while pricey value was good. Great beers are going to cost a little more, even if they are from just a few dozen miles down the 405. (736 characters)

* This is located about a block east of the Hollywood/Vine metro stop and the Pantages Theater.

* The outside makes you look like you're walking into a theater, but inside it's much different. Descriptions of beer styles are written on chalk boards and are hanging from different parts of the place. A little rustic inside.

* Two dozen taps plus a cask and 50 some bottles. Rare, hyped beer can be found on their draft list, though this wasn't the case on my visit. I settled on an Einhorn Spezial Pilsner. Fresh beer, no shaker pint glasses, good pouring.

* Thursday is a promotion for 25 cent wings. I thought why not, so I ordered half a dozen BBQ wings smothered in sauce. Good stuff.

* Must be great for grabbing a beer or two before or after a show. Regardless, this is highly recommended. (837 characters)

Three of us went on a Friday night for dinner.If you don't know where it is you can miss it (there was a line getting into the next door Music Box which hid the enterance). Parking is terrible. The lot next door was charging $20! They do give you a $3 discount for parking but still!!!

The inside is on the dark side, atmosphere is a typical bar feel somewhat noisy. Place was just about full, but we got a table (the last empty). It was the start of San Fransisco beer week so lots of N Cal beers on tap (21?). Server was great at directing us to acceptable beers. Even brought tastes to help with making decisions. We ended up with Blind Pig (darn they didn't have Pliny the kid yet), Speakeasy Scarface, North Coast Scrimshaw and barrel aged Moylans Ryan O'Sllivan which we passed around for dessert.

Food was good and tasty. We had Kobe burger, BBQ pork sandwich (good sauce with a Jalipena bite), short rib in a Porter sauce. All of which we enjoyed.

I've been here twice now, and had a great experience both times. The first time was for when they had Victory at Sea on Cask with Rum chips (yeah, it was GOOD!)

The second was with my wife and few friends. They love beer too, but they came more for the shuffle board, which is probably the best I have personally seen (new, very clean, and shuffleboard is hard to find in LA)

Anyhow, they rotate their taps regularly, the staff are courtesy, attentive, knowledgeable on their beers, but they also don't crowd you. I agree with others parking is a bit of a drawback, but it's in Hollywood, so it's really not their fault, just how it is. It's also next to the Music Box theatre, and close to Hollywood and Vine.

I certainly plan to go back many times, and encourage others to check it out as well. (800 characters)

Stopped in here right after they opened. We had lunch a few blocks away so it just seemed to work out amazingly well for a visit. Atmosphere was a little slow to develop but once more people began to show up it was nice. Service was a little slow but as the server said one of the bartenders didn't show up on time so she was doing two jobs at once. Quality was quite good. My beers were top notch and the food looked quite good, although having just eaten I did't partake. Selection was solid all around. I didn't find anything on-tap that I was that interested in but bottle list was stellar so I decided to get one off there. Took awhile to find it in the cellar but once they did I was able to enjoy it for a more than reasonable price. Speaking of prices, I thought all but a few of the bottles were reasonable and the food was much the same. Overall a really nice place in the heart of the city, I would definitely return if I was in the area again. (955 characters)

Great spot. You can sense a real craft connection, superb special events... Firestone Walker, Ballast Point, etc... Good food and a really solid bottle list/refrigerator.

Staff is knowledgeable for the most part, but service-wise they need to really step up their game. When it's a special event or busy, bartenders seem to make it a point to ignore patrons. You've got to literally yell and beg to buy a drink. Bartenders act overly stressed, even though they're just doing their standard job. Everybody gets stressed at work, but not at the expense of alienating your customers. If I owned the place and saw my staff behave/work like this I'd be pissed. End rant. (667 characters)

The best beer bar I have been to in LA. You come in, you feel already at home. Good parking next door (late enough it was free). About 95% guys and all efficiently served by Bix. Twenty five taps up electronically on a board, with lots of interesting choices. Great bottle selection too, but Black Tuesday at $90 was something I wanted but not at that price. Some other really rare ones, though prices were steep for those as well. Music was decent and toned down, so you can talk. with some TVs on. they are trying to get their sublease settled to stay in the current location. (578 characters)

finally made it out here...and it was great. The fact that there is a great beer bar down in hollywood is a sign of the times...thank god! The sandwich I got was the Liar's en Fuego? a spicy steak sandwich piled high and my lady got the build you own grilled cheese sandwich which was also delicious. Beers were solid. Had Coronado Idiot IPA, New Belgium La Folie, and Brian the owner opened up some Hansen's Kriek for us, which it is obvious that he cares about the beers. Wish it was closer to my home and will definitely return when in the area. (548 characters)

Blue Palms is a welcome addtion to the Los Angeles area. They are sincerely beer oriented and are committed to maintaining an excellent beer list in excellent condition. Altho it doesn't officially open for another week, they were functioning professionally when we visited and I can't foresee any startling changes. There is almost an embarassment of riches as the taps tends towards big beers with no real session beers except for the Berliner Weisse and Guiness. I am wildly impressed that there are no macros or hipster beers, evrything is top choice. I had the Bruery's Berliner Weisse, the Vertical Epic 8 and Rodenbach. I also tasted Geoff 's Union Jack on hand pull, Fred and Old Dubh. Everything was spectacular, I mean c'mon, the lines are pristine and Brian the owner loves his system. I also liked the pricing policy which reflects the rareness/value of the beer. Foodwise, we split a Reuben and a salad. The sandwich seemed salty to me and the salad was good. I'm interested in exploring more of the menu options. This is in an area with really good public transportation so you can take the subway and there are a passle of bus lines that go by. If you're willing to walk a few blocks, there is some street parking in the area. Otherwises, there is a lot right next door and you can pay for that convenience--make sure you get some kind of receipt fom them. Anyway, if you have any interest in good beer and you are in the TMZ, come here. (1,452 characters)

Went for dinner and brews with some (Mormon) friends who live in LA as I was passing through. Quite cool of my friends to indulge my hobby and take me to the beer parlor though they do not indulge themselves. The atmosphere could maybe score higher if it weren't so loud in the place. It was full-ish, but not late and not a weekend, but it was difficult to converse due to the acoustics. The food was good and reasonably priced, and had some funky twists like sausages made from atypical meats like venison and boar. But food was not the main motive for going there, or bothering to review the joint!

I started with the FiftyFifty Eclipse Elijah Craig 12 year. It was awesome, one of the best beers I've ever had. In retrospect, it shoulda been desert. Well, it was, I had another later! Damned good beer. In between I had Lagunitas Sucks, though I was thinking I should have something else that isn't so widely distributed, but it sounded good and it was.

There were 24 taps, with the lists displayed prominently on at least 2 large video screens. The bottle list was not huge but thoughtfully selected and inviting. And there was a vintage bottle list of older and hard to get stuff. Some reasonably priced, some priced to reflect the rarity, and understandable to me, though I'd never drop that kind of coin for a beer.

All in all, any beer geek would visiting this place should find some things to make them happy. It would be silly not to drop in if you were in the neighborhood and had the time to do so. (1,516 characters)

About a year ago I moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, and this is my favorite place to grab a good craft brew in the city. By now, I've hit up the hot spots: Father's Office (both), Verdugo, Barney's Beanery, Good Microbrew... and Blue Palms is the best. Father's Office comes in second...

They've got a good, primarily West Coast selection of 24 craft brews on tap, and one on cask. And, they do a good job of changing up the selection about once a week. You can check the website for what they've got, and the food that they serve; something the websites for Father's Office and Verdugo foolishly don't do.

Besides the beer (there's also a pretty good selection in the bottles menu), the food is great. I strongly recommend the beer battered onion rings and the wings. Thursday, after 6, until close, wings are 25 cents! Dank!

The decor is meh. I get kind of a sports bar feel, which I could do without. When I'm sipping a good beer, I like to see dark wood and low lighting, which you won't get here. That aside, this place has quickly become my go to place for a few good beers and some tasty food to go with that tasty beverage. (1,137 characters)

Very sparse and new layout, not a whole lot in the way of visuals and wall coverings. Came in after a meeting with a coworker around 8ish on a Tuesday night and I'm thinking we caught the tail end of the dinner crowd. We got one of the few tables aviable and ordered. Within five minutes the place started to clear out and we took the opportunity to move to the bar. Great selection of locals on tap and the casks selection is unique. Got the last of the casked Stone Smoked Porter with oak which was pretty much a yeasty concoction. Brian and company quickly remedied the problem bringing on Stone IPA with Chinook and centennial hops. Sweet. Opened some of the few sours thinking I'd share a 750 or two the my co-worker but she was pretty much stuck on Rodenbach Grand cru and wouldn't budge. Night ended with a bad ass tour of the basement/cooler/future speakeasy type room. Sweet ass place with a solid first impression. (924 characters)

I had lunch here on a Friday, They are only open for lunch on Fri and Sun. The atmosphere is what I would call simple pub comfortable. The one thing that I did like is that they have two large LCD screens showing all of the info on the current tap offerings. No Pliny, Pliny where are you in L.A., but they did have Blind Pig so I am happy. The menu had a selection of sausages so I asked the bartender to help me select two, we decided on Wild Boar and Elk, both were wonderful and the bed of sauerkraut just made it perfect. As for the tap beer I understand it changes often, like weekly.This is another, if I lived in L.A. I would be a regular. (648 characters)

Thanks for koufax21 reminding me that despite having been here like a dozen times, I've never reviewed it.

First thing I really like about the atmosphere is that this is a sports loving craft beer bar. So many craft beer places shun sports, having this stereotype of avoiding dumb loud jocks. Not here, they're proud about their OSU and Steeler patronage (teams I hate, but I'd rather go to a place that supports their team v. hipster i don't follow sports douchery). Right next to the Fonda theatre (seen Aquabats & Rancid play an awesome set here).

High quality in terms of both beer selection and food. Tap list displayed largely. TVs all over. Fine wood decoration. Open spacing, never 'crowded' to the point of being a drawback. Good mix of favorites and local new stuff. Ask to see the bottle list. Some real good stuff in there. Some of it decently priced. $15 -bal aged 22oz stuff in Hollywood is amazingly priced (Old Dipsea).

Angel's share on tap, cheaper and more carbonated than in the bottle at a retail store.

Excellent fresh selection of beers.the regular bartender there could be a bit more knowledgeable and engaging, but I can deal with that when the beer selection is top notch.Their burger is great, all the rest of the food is just ok.Price is reasonable considering the area. (276 characters)

I visited the much heralded Blue Palms on August 8, 2009 for their 1st Anniversary Party. Walking in it is very dark, and rather loud making it difficult to talk at points, granted it was rather crowded. I definitely liked the continous stream of classic rock being played.

The tap list for the event was phenomenal, but what I've seen posted for regular days is quite good as well. I was quite happy to be able to drink Alpine north of Oceanside.

The amount of attention I recieved from the bartenders was admirable seeing how much they had to do, quite prompt for how crowded it was.

Prices for beer are reasonable for bars around the Southland, especially LA, but I have to put the value at $$$ since parking was very expensive at the Pantages parking lot ($10), and I don't see how I can get around this if I make it up again.

I didn't have a chance to try the food. All in all, I was quite impressed with this new bar in LA, it's tough to get up there, but if I'm in Hollywood again I'll definitely go back.

Food Edit for 10-17-09 - Had the Ribeye sandwich and it was quite good. (1,089 characters)

Brian has created a great place for the beer enthusiast in LA. We went there the monday after the friday opening and the staff was still a little frazzled but were very nice. The 8 8 08 VE on tap was great, and the rest of the beer list was awesome. Highly recommend going on "guest chef burger night" as that was the highlight of my meal. My wife is a pretty strict vegetarian and she also found food that she enjoyed. Overall a place I will continue to enjoy going to and will definetly tell others to go to.

Update---Dont believe the website, went to take some friends and watch some football while sipping on good beer, closed at noon on a sunday, website and phone message both say its open, nothing posted on the door...great beer and food but a little annoyed.

New update, 20 more trips after the dissapointing Sunday this place is one of my favorite, currently the rack of BBQ ribs and the fuego steak sandwhich are truly awesome. (940 characters)